Before the Storm
by Moira Starsong
Summary: Set in the middle of "End of Nights, pt. 2". Helen introspective before the Super Abnormals attack.


**Sanctuary Fanfic – Before the Storm**

The view from the highest tower of the Sanctuary was spectacular, as always. The lights of Old City stretched on forever, blending into the dark of the horizon beyond, and the stars shone brilliantly above. It was a sight that made you feel quite small, and never failed to make your problems seem petty in the grand scheme of the universe. Helen Magnus came here when she was in need of perspective, when the pressures of her work became too much and she longed for a quiet moment of peace. But there would be no peace tonight.

A cool wind blew in from the sea, ruffling her dark hair and caressing her face. She absent-mindedly wondered why she did not cry, or scream her rage to the heavens. The intensity of the last few days had certainly taken its toll on her, but now she felt only a strange, uneasy sense of calm. She simply had no more tears to give.

Cradled in her lap was the weapon which would destroy the Super Abnormals, including her own daughter. _Ashley_. Her heart ached at the thought of what the Cabal had done to her, what Ashley must have gone through. Over a month since she had first disappeared. Over a month of constant, gnawing desperation. Helen had been searching the globe for her, scouring the darkest corners the Abnormal world for the tiniest scrap of information regarding her whereabouts. Now she knew, and it was almost worse. Ashley was barely recognizable as her daughter.

The Cabal had brainwashed her, experimented on her, altered her. They had bought out the hidden traits in her latent DNA, the legacy of her very powerful parents.

She now processed all the powers of the five most powerful Abnormals on Earth. Speed, strength, healing, teleportation – an invincible weapon, the perfect soldier. Even the fire elemental had barely slowed them down.

Helen's hand slid slowly over the cool metal of the bulky weapon, her eyes distant and unfocused. Dana Whitcomb's words still rang in her ears, the price required for Ashley's safe return:

_ Surrender the entire global Sanctuary network to our control immediately. Your daughter, or your work. You choose._

She didn't surrender the network, of course. How could she? It was an impossible choice. The Cabal was bent on controlling every Abnormal that they could, and wiping out the rest. And they were already incredibly powerful. They had their black tendrils entrenched deep into various corporations, government, scientific research facilities, military think tanks – everything, really. They had spent the last few centuries slowly infiltrating every possible avenue to power. As Squid had once said, the Cabal was indeed one James Bond movie away from global domination. If the Cabal gained control of the Sanctuary network, it would be disastrous for human and Abnormal alike. It would be all that was needed to finally vault the Cabal to true dominion. Then they would set themselves to the task of hunting down any free Abnormals left, as well as any sympathetic humans who may be helping them. Even as her heart was breaking, Helen could not allow that to happen.

_Magnus : If I did capitulate do you honestly believe that the Cabal would honour their end of the deal?_

_Druitt : She's our daughter!_

_..._

_Magnus : So we surrender every Abnormal under our protection? I don't think so!_

Five Sanctuaries had already fallen, even with Henry's new security protocols. It had taken less then twenty minutes for the entire Tokyo facility to fall. Beijing, Moscow, and New Delhi soon followed. The U.K. Sanctuary was heavily damaged. It was perhaps salvageable, but currently abandoned. Even Helen's own House was empty of Abnormals, all residents moved to off-site (and hopefully secure) locations. Only the staff stayed to carry on the fight.

Ashley knew every Sanctuary, every security code, every emergency protocol. And she had been raised with Henry. She knew her adopted brother's mind just as intimately as her own. Even the new ones designed with her in mind had not slowed the Super Abnormals one bit. They had already taken so many lives, human and Abnormal. And a good chunk of the damage rested squarely on Helen's shoulders. If she had not tried so desperately to save Ashley, to believe that she could reach her, then many people, and creatures, would still be alive.

_Magnus : As much as I hate to use this terminology, we are at war. And one that we are ill prepared for. If we can't deal with this, there is no other line of defence._

She heard a familiar set of steps approach, but she kept her eyes trained on the distant lights of New City. Will Zimmerman climbed onto the parapet next to her, standing tall in defiance of the wind and the height.

"Once more into the breach, dear friends."

"Once more we'll close up the wall with our English dead." She echoed.

Will sat, legs dangling off the edge of the stone block.

"Or we all could just run away."

Helen gave a small laugh, a somewhat hollow sound. "If only we were that smart."

Her protégé gave her a sidelong glance, his gaze lingering on the large, rocket-like shape she cradled.

"So that's it?" He asked.

She nodded. "Nikola assures me it's his finest work." She gave him a smile that she hoped was reassuring. Will had already lost so much to this senseless war.

"I'm sure it is." Will looked away, his own gaze searching the horizon for …. something. He turned back to his face his mentor.

"Maybe somebody else should use it."

"It has to be me, and you know it." Helen trained her fierce gaze on her much younger companion, daring him to contradict her.

"Magnus," his voice had taken on the gentle, non-judgemental tone of the trained psychologist, "She's not Ashley any more. I know that's difficult for you to accept– "

Helen cut him off harshly. "You should leave while you can, Will." She caught herself, and her voice softened. "You've done more then your share." She was not the only one in pain.

Mere hours before, Will had found the body of his girlfriend in the rubble of the U.K. Sanctuary. Helen knew Will blamed himself for Clara's death. She had stayed behind after the final evacuation because Will had been on his way to help with the defence. They had not seen each other in weeks, and Clara had been loath to let him face death on his own. As it turned out, it was her own death she was facing.

"Yeah, I should." Will raised his eyes to the heavens, as if uttering a silent prayer. "But like you said, I'm just not that smart."

A small, sad smile came to Helen's lips. She wished she could have spared him the pain of losing Clara. But being unlucky in love seemed to be an occupational hazard.

Helen Magnus was a hundred and fifty-seven years old. She was accustomed to loss. She had buried family, friends, colleagues, lovers. But still, it hurt, every time. She knew the pain he was in very well. Her eyes returned to the weapon in her lap, her fingers tracing its smooth lines. She was used to loss, she told herself, even though she knew that this time it was different. This time it was her daughter.

They sat in silence for a while, until Will's cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket to dig it out. Flipping it open, he bought it to his ear.

"This is Will." He gasped and jerked the phone away when his ears were assaulted by a burst of ear-piercing static.

"Bloody hell!" Helen yanked the phone from his grip and threw it as hard as she could. A remote hack. Bloody fantastic. There went the EM shield.

_Here we go,_ she thought. _I'm sorry, Ashley. I'm so_ _sorry._

Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman scrambled to their feet, the former balancing the immense weapon on her hip, and they raced to enter the fray. Helen Magnus raced battle, to kill her only daughter.

_Druitt : What now?_

_Magnus : We defend our home._


End file.
